Side Effects Include
by diitzyDreamer
Summary: <html><head></head>When Raz and Lili are called back to Whispering Rock when they're seventeen, under the pretense of being camp instructors, they start to suspect something else is going on. Sasha and Milla don't notice, and even suggest it's all in their heads. Being the two youngest Psychonauts in the system could be difficult, especially when nobody takes you seriously.</html>


Razputin Aquato and his girlfriend, Lili Zanotto, had been expecting a mission from their boss, Ford Cruller. What they were not expecting, however, was to be called back to Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp at the age of seventeen. The term 'camp counselor' was tossed around at the meeting, meaning they'd be instructing their own classes. Razputin, or Raz for short, would be teaching acrobatics. After the big brain-napping fiasco seven years ago, Ford Cruller had decided using acrobatics in combat had more than just a few benefits and implemented that as a class for the young Psi-cadets. This year, it seemed they would be taught by a professional-or as professional as Raz could be, anyways.

Lili, in fact, would teach a crash course on mental links and how to protect your thoughts from intrusion. She'd gotten better are keeping hers to herself, although Raz was a different story. Not only was he a telepath, but they had enforced the mental link that had been created when Raz rescued her all those years ago. Seven long years together had made the connection stronger and more durable. It was difficult to keep anything from the other, but they managed without driving each other crazy. Well, sometimes.

The two found themselves standing in Ford Cruller's sanctuary, listening to instructions so they knew what was expected of them. Milla and Sasha were present as well, returning for their tenth year of teaching. Even if they'd heard the speech before, they were paying close attention, nodding in agreement with what was being said. This was more than could be said for the two teenagers, who stood behind Coach Oleander and quietly elbowed each other, the argument they'd had earlier about who got to teach their class at what time still continuing mentally. Raz appeared to have won with the way Lili huffed, but he just cracked a lopsided smile, adjusted the goggles he _still _wore on his head, and sent her a quick mental note saying, '_I'll make it up to you later.' _To which she had no argument.

Orientation, if you could even really call it that, lasted a few more minutes before Cruller waved them off with his traditional "now git!" to which the agents were more than happy to do. Milla and Sasha stayed behind, wanting to discuss something with the 'adults' (despite Raz's protests that they weren't even kids anymore) while Raz and Lili made their way towards the not-so-secret tree trunk. Raz let a small groan slip out of his mouth, tapping his fingers on the edge of the stump. Lili rolled her eyes and looked at him with a sigh, "If you're going to complain, get it out now so I don't have to listen to it for hours on end."

"I don't complain for hours!" Raz protested, crossing his arms before gesturing for her to jump down towards the robotic cart first. Lili snorted a bit of laughter before jumping down and waiting for Raz to follow. She knew he'd keep talking, he always did. "And I think I have a good reason to complain, if I was. Which I'm _not_. I'm just saying that they're leaving us out of something important because they think we're still kids! We aren't. We're seventeen, and we're Psychonauts too!"

"Well, we're still pretty young." Lili pointed out, sitting down in the cart and moving over so Raz could sit next to her. "And you already know we're still like babies to Milla and- hang on- yeah, yeah, take us to the kids cabins or whatever." The cart began to move and Lili finished what she was going to say, "How is this even a shock to you? This is _normal _for us."

"It shouldn't be." Raz grumbled, leaning back in the seat and waiting for them to stop at the kid's cabin area. Even for a secret passage, it still took a few minutes. The machine was getting old, and it had already been shuddering when Raz used it seven years ago. To say it needed to be replaced was a severe understatement. He transferred his weight to his elbow as it stalled again and sighed, "Someday we're going to show them exactly what we're capable of, Lils. They're going to start including us in everything, just wait."

The kids cabin area hadn't changed much, only a few more slightly overgrown piles of grass and a new classroom for Coach Oleander that was a bit bigger than his last. Population at Whispering Rock had done nothing but increase the last few years, and now several dozen kids were attending every week. This, of course, was not the first summer Raz and Lili had spent here, and it clearly wouldn't be their last. Seven years ago had only been the beginning, and they'd returned every year up until they turned thirteen, the final age you could sign up for there. They had imagined it would be the last they would see of this place, considering they would be taking on bigger missions and would hardly have time to stop in for a quick hello with the campers that hadn't quite been thirteen when they were.

Yet, here they were, looking around at the familiarity and taking everything in at once. Raz whistled lowly and looked around, pulling his goggles up to sit on top of his helmet. "Man, we haven't been back here in like...five years! Not much has changed, has it?"

"Four." Lili corrected, "And yep. Still just as hidious as I remember it. They haven't even replaced the rotting wood on the cabins." She scrunched up her nose in disgust and tossed one of her red pigtails over her shoulder. It might have been a little immature to keep the same hairstyle for as long as she had, but it always worked and it kept it out of the way when she was doing something important. Like missions...or making out with her boyfriend. A thought crossed her mind and she absently looked up towards the only cave entrance. Most of the new kids wouldn't know about it yet, and a lot of them didn't have the skills to get up there either. "What time is the campfire tonight?"

"Uh...like...eight? I dunno." Raz shrugged, "I'm sure the Coach is going to blast it all over the radio beforehand. Why?"

"So we have a few hours..." Lili mused, glancing over at him and then tilting her head towards the cave entrance above them. Raz looked confused for a second before Lili gave a dramatic sigh and sent a thought barreling at him. His eyes widened after a second and he took a step towards the slightly molding trampoline on the side of one of the cabins.

"Oh! Right..." He offered a smile and his hand she she took it after making a comment about what an idiot he could be sometimes. An idiot, sure, but at least he was a good kisser...they surely wouldn't be missed for a few hours. Even if they were, the campfire was something they'd heard a hundred times before.


End file.
